Capsule Auctions – Fashion, Art, and Design
February 16 at 11 am
www.capsuleauctions.com

NEW YORK CITY — In collaboration with the Geoffrey Beene Foundation, Capsule Auctions will present a sale of property from the estate of fashion designer Geoffrey Beene. Forty lots of fashion illustrations and 20 lots of bespoke mannequins are being offered in Capsule’s Fashion, Art and Design sale. Live bidding for the auction, which is available for pre-bidding now, begins on February 16 at 11 am. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Geoffrey Beene Foundation’s mission to support critical philanthropic causes, most notably the revolutionary cancer research efforts being facilitated through the Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. All lots from the estate are being offered without reserve.

The sale of property from Beene’s estate will continue throughout the year as a part of other upcoming auctions.

The fashion illustrations included in the auction paint a stunning portrait of Beene’s history, capturing the sleek grandeur of some of the most celebrated collections of his decades-long career. Though artists such as Joe Eula, Gene Meyer and Jesper Nyeboe, each bring distinct individual styles to their drawings, Beene’s minimalist yet inventive aesthetic invariably shines through.

Fashion, Art and Design also offers a selection of decorative mannequins used by Geoffrey Beene to showcase his designs. Beene often preferred dressing mannequins rather than live models, an innovative choice that gave his shows a theatrical flair. Fueled by a belief that hair and makeup looks are destined to become dated, the designer opted to use headless mannequins to preserve the timeless quality of his designs. Like the fashion illustrations, these mannequins are pieces of Beene’s history, speaking to his ethos as clearly as his famed designs do.

Beene’s legacy is one of perpetual achievement: as The New York Times put it, “fashion editors ran out of superlatives to describe Mr Beene’s high-wire act.” The list of accolades the icon of the American fashion scene racked up over the course of his career is seemingly endless. Just a year after founding his firm in 1963, Beene was awarded the prestigious Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award. This would be one of eight Coty awards given to the designer over the course of his life, more than any other designer has received to date. In 1976, he became the first American designer to show a collection in Milan, Italy. Not only did the Council of Fashion Designers present Beene with America’s Designer of the Year Award in 1986, but also named the Lifetime Achievement Award after him as tribute.

Though his list of awards is impressive, Beene’s truest achievement was the body of work he left behind. Distinctly forward-looking and yet consummately timeless, his designs have acted as huge influences on the fashion industry. Icons of American fashion have often been spotted sporting Beene, including Jacqueline Kennedy, who wore a Beene-designed dress to her husband’s inaugural ball. Perhaps thanks to the time the designer spent studying medicine in his pre-fashion days, he had a keen understanding of and consideration for the human body. Fashion critics have long lauded his ability to design in the round, to flatter rather than cover the body with his masterful draping techniques.

Auction viewing is by appointment at 508 West 26th Street 4G. For information, www.capsuleauctions.com/auction/20th-century or 212-353-2277.

Present: Original illustrations and bespoke mannequins from the Estate of Geoffrey Beene
Proceeds to benefit: The Geoffrey Beene Cancer Research Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering featured in our upcoming auction